Lately, it seems, we have to serve as our own 'Watchmen'

Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' "Watchmen" has deservedly been praised as the most innovative and influential graphic novel ever published, as well as one of the great works of literature of the 20th century.

As it makes its way to the silver screen and even wider popularity and renown, its central message is more important than ever, as suggested by the question that appears through the book, "who watches the watchmen?"

Lately, it seems the answer is: No one. Over this past year, we have seen our financial system and the broader economy go into a tailspin, the likes of which we have not seen in decades. There has been no shortage of blame to go around: Financial executives, members of Congress, heads of regulatory agencies, and past presidents have all taken their lumps from experts on each side of the political aisle.

But aside from the fine details of the origins of this mess, which will be debated for years to come, there is a more general lesson to be learned here: the dangers of unchecked power.

It would be wonderful if we could trust the powerful in society -- whether elected, appointed, or hired -- to perform their duties with honor, always mindful of their civic or fiduciary responsibilities, and with nary a thought to furthering their own advantage. But we know -- all too well, lately -- that the world rarely works this way.

That is why we have mechanisms that work to keep those in power honest -- checks and balances, regulators and the media, for instance. But these are imperfect institutions too, and to the extent that the people in charge of them become powerful themselves, corruption inevitably grows within. They may be the watchmen, but who watches them, who keeps them honest?

That answer, at least, is simple. It falls to us, the people, to be the ultimate watchmen. Just several weeks ago, I was explaining to my students that in a democracy, political power ultimately rests with the people.

Many of them found this naive or idealistic, and certainly our power to monitor and report the misdeeds of those in positions of authority is imperfect; such is the complexity of the modern world. Nonetheless, when push comes to shove, there is no one we can trust to be mindful of the machinations of the mighty but ourselves.

In a representative democracy, we grant to a chosen few the power to make decisions that affect all of us, so we can go about our own lives and pursue our own goals. But without constant and vigilant supervision, that power can all too easily be abused.

We have the ability to check this power, but to be effective, we have to take the great responsibility that comes with that great power (another comic book lesson). For example, we have to demand to know where the stimulus money is going, and what the banking executives are doing with their bailout funds.

Simply put, we must pay attention -- always. Of course, there was an incredible amount of interest and involvement in the recent presidential election. The American people wanted to know the candidates, what they stood for, and what they promised to do if elected. But we cannot let our attention wane after the polls, the voting, and the celebrations fade into memory.

If "Watchmen" can teach us anything, it is how things can go horribly wrong when power goes unchecked.

In these perilous times, we cannot afford to fail to watch our watchmen -- there is simply too much at stake.

Mark D. White is editor of "Watchmen and Philosophy: A Rorschach Test" and a professor at the College of Staten Island. This commentary originally appeared in the Newark Star-Ledger.